Introduction to Location Based Services (LBS):
Location Based Services (LBS) are rapidly expanding. Outdoor location technologies are mainly based on Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies. The Global Positioning System (GPS) cannot perform properly indoors and is therefore inadequate. As a result, indoor location systems are appearing on the market.
The need for a system arises from various market segments and applications. One example in the market is the Global Positioning System (GPS) based systems that use integrated positioning and navigation systems based on Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers as the primary positioning technology. Subsequent to the events of September 11th the Federal government mandated that Global Positioning System (GPS) capability be built in to all cellular phones. However, the fact that uninterrupted satellite reception is not possible in many locations is a major limitation of Global Positioning System (GPS) based systems. Densely populated areas and radio-frequency-signal shadowed locations, such as urban centers (alternatively referred to as “urban canyons”), generally do not allow proper operation of Global Positioning System (GPS), yet it is in these locations that the need is greatest.
There is a clear need for a cost effective system that maintains performance indoors, in urban canyons and in city centers.
Another important consideration is that the Global Positioning System (GPS) is susceptible to jamming and other man-made interference.
Description of a Global Positioning System (GPS):
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite based navigation and time identification system developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. The Global Positioning System (GPS) originally served marine, airborne and terrestrial users in the military and has been later adapted to serve civilians as well. Specifically, Global Positioning System (GPS) includes the Standard Positioning Service (SPS) that provides civilian users with 100 meter accuracy as to the location or position of the user. For military users Global Positioning System (GPS) provides the Precise Positioning Service that is accurate to within 20 meters. Both of these services are available worldwide with no requirement for any local equipment.
View of Global Positioning System (GPS) Limitations:
A first limitation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) is that, upon activation, the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver scans for signals from the constellation of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. A unit must locate and receive signals from at least four (4) satellites in order to be able to determine its location. This process of locating the minimum number of satellites, receiving the data and achieving a position fix can take several minutes. This delay is problematic for many Global Positioning System (GPS) applications.
A second limitation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) is that the receiver needs a clear view of the sky to successfully receive signals from the constellation of associated satellites. Again, under unfriendly signal receiving conditions, such as inside buildings, in “urban canyons”, in the shadows of high buildings, and the like, the Global Positioning System (GPS) suffers from multi-path effects and therefore shows poor performance, or, worse, none at all.
A third limitation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) is limited accuracy. The civilian version of the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal includes limited accuracy by design. While knowing a position of an individual to within an accuracy of 50 to 200 feet anywhere on the planet is a major technological feat. This accuracy may not be sufficient to provide a location and/or navigation to a user in a store, a mall, to a vacant or available parking space (each space measures about 10 feet), and the like. The use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) is further limited in an indoor environment, such as most indoor stores and/or malls, as the Global Positioning System (GPS) cannot work effectively when the receiver is located in doors or a line of sight to the satellites is blocked by a roof or other object.
Existing navigation systems, such as the new mandatory Global Positioning System (GPS) equipped cellular telephones, are based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) and have the aforementioned limitations.
Another significant factor adding to the limitations of the Global Positioning System (GPS) based systems is the important role of map production. In an optimal scenario, a user would want a map to be as detailed and as up-to-date as possible. The existing maps used by the Global Positioning System (GPS) based applications provide limited detail and are not able to reflect changes on a real time basis. More importantly, mapping for indoor facilities is essentially not readily available to the general public or integrated into Global Positioning System (GPS) based applications. The recent introduction of imagery services, such as GOOGLE EARTH and its competitors are offered as an enhancement to Global Positioning System (GPS). Even with these, they are still present outdated information. The consequences of limited and outdated mapping are unsatisfactory results, wherein users encounter road changes, and area development changes that not shown on the maps and imagery.
The Proposed Solutions:
In general, the subject invention is based on applying machine-learning techniques to the task of inferring aspects of the user's status from a stream of input from small RF tags or beacons, which are installed in a local area, including indoor and/or outdoor locations or in places designated as Point Of Interest (POI). Examples of areas of deployment of the RF tags or beacons can include a mall, a department store, adjacent to a product inside a store, within a street parking or garage parking area, and the like. In a broad sense, the RF tags or beacons can be located indoors, outdoors, in a public location, in a commercial location, and the like. The RF tags or beacons can employ Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) (long range type) technology, Bluetooth with the option to long range Bluetooth technology, Wi-Fi technology, or any other suitable RF technology. The RF tags or beacons are adapted to broadcast a unique identification (ID) using any suitable wireless broadcasting technology that includes an identification portion in a unidirectional pulsing signal. The identification portion in a unidirectional pulsing signal identifies a location of the RF tag or beacon by including a unique identification (ID), such as the address or location and type of facility, store, product, and the like. The RF tag or beacon broadcasts location identification and any other desired information in the identification portion in a unidirectional pulsing signal to be picked up by a compatible receiver integrated into the mobile telephone. An association application would decode the received identification portion in a unidirectional pulsing signal and act accordingly.
The application is adapted for indoor guide navigation and Location Based Services (LBS), or navigation in crowded urban areas, where Global Positioning System (GPS) based systems, due to lack of access to satellites or the Global Positioning System (GPS) limitations detailed previously, cannot achieve the required results.
The disclosed applications focus on the task of interactively guiding the user to a desired indoor destination.
Examples of indoor applications:
The user may wish to locate a vacant or available parking space in his/her vicinity, wherein the parking spaces can be located outdoors or within a covered parking area, such as a parking garage.
The user may wish to locate a specific store within a shopping mall, a particular aisle in a department store, or even as detailed as a specific item on a shelf.
The user may wish to locate a specific conference room in a convention center, a Point Of Interest (POI) in an amusement park, a Point Of Interest (POI) in a museum, and the like.
The user may be looking for a train location in a train station, train stops associated with a subway, or train stops associated with any other underground train system.